Since I’ve only really imaged in the summer, I was wondering how things will be in the winter. I’m guessing that transparency will be better due to the lower humidity? How about seeing? Less heating with a lower sun and shorter days?
thx!
thx!
Winter vs summer?
Engaging
Sean Mc:
Since I’ve only really imaged in the summer, I was wondering how things will be in the winter. I’m guessing that transparency will be better due to the lower humidity? How about seeing? Less heating with a lower sun and shorter days?
thx!
Depends where you live. Humidity isn't the only factor. Most of my winter in western Canada is cloudy even though the humidity is below 30%. Come spring, Strong aurora can hinder imaging. Late Summer/Fall is still my best time of year when temps are around 10-20c.
Another factor is latitude. Living farther north means that summer nights are extremely short, astronomical darkness might not be achieved, or even worse. However, winter would allow for very long nights but rarely clear.
Same as Matthew above, usually my best nights are in late Summer/early Fall here in north-eastern England. Except this year, which has been crap all the way.
Here in Southwest Florida (26 degrees) I look forward to winter all year long. It's the dry season so clear nights for weeks on end, 60 and 70 degrees after dark and low humidity. From July to September I might get 4 or 5 nights in. So withdraw symtoms set in and I become an "armchair" astronomer just planning my targets for the winter and looking at Astrobin dreaming of the coming nights 
Mike
Mike
Engaging
In NH at latitude 44 deg, I don’t notice a difference in number of clear nights, and the much longer winter nights are nice, but seeing is a lot worse. Last winter, it was 5” plus at least half the clear nights….so no point in imaging (though not great during the summer either with 2.5 - 3” being the usual). Not sure how much of the seasonal change is the jet stream. I think it’s not as directly overhead here during the winter, but stronger. More pronounced temperature gradients closer to the ground are probably also a factor, including even whether I’m pointing over my house, or not.
The ambient temperature is a factor for many too, and whether you’re set up to run things from inside. I’m not, but by choice. I like spending as much time outside while imaging as I can get away with, even in the winter, maybe especially during the winter…. My cutoff is -10F, but that’s for the gear. I’m no more impervious to the cold than most, probably less even, nor do I like being cold, I just wear an insane number of layers….
Cheers,
Scott
The ambient temperature is a factor for many too, and whether you’re set up to run things from inside. I’m not, but by choice. I like spending as much time outside while imaging as I can get away with, even in the winter, maybe especially during the winter…. My cutoff is -10F, but that’s for the gear. I’m no more impervious to the cold than most, probably less even, nor do I like being cold, I just wear an insane number of layers….
Cheers,
Scott
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Wow Scott! -10F is your cutoff? And, that's not your limit but the equipment? Now that's a die hard astrophotographer You go Buddy!
I did get a kick out of your "Winter Imaging" pic.
Mike
You go Buddy! I did get a kick out of your "Winter Imaging" pic.
Mike
As I said, a LOT of layers!….. Plus charcoal hand warmers in my pockets : )
Wow Scott! -10F is your cutoff? And, that's not your limit but the equipment? Now that's a die hard astrophotographerYou go Buddy!
I did get a kick out of your "Winter Imaging" pic.
Mike
Lol -10 f is warm try -40. That's a real Canadian winter.
Matthew Proulx:
Lol -10 f is warm try -40. That's a real Canadian winter.
March before last I did some wildlife photography on Ellesmere Island, Canada. We traveled about 200 miles north from Grise Fiord at the southern end and once up on to the glacier it was generally -5 to -25, but balmy compared to the -50 temps the week before I got there..... Battery life was an issue, so I kept 4 or 5 in inner layer pockets. For the camera and lenses, once outside they stayed outside the whole time to prevent any condensation. The goal was Artic wolves, but we only found tracks. Was very happy with polar bear and musk ox opportunities though.
Cheers,
Scott
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Winter wonderland in -15°C at 60°N in Norway
My scopes outside to do the hard work and me inside my warm, insulated house.
The drawback is that my neighbors heat pump is not very efficient at -15°C
My scopes outside to do the hard work and me inside my warm, insulated house.
The drawback is that my neighbors heat pump is not very efficient at -15°C
Sean Mc:
Since I’ve only really imaged in the summer, I was wondering how things will be in the winter. I’m guessing that transparency will be better due to the lower humidity? How about seeing? Less heating with a lower sun and shorter days?
thx!
Hi Sean,
I'm in Mississauga (close to Milton, where I think you are?) and winter skies are mostly horrible (one clear night out of ten maybe, and a lot of snow shoveling just to reach and uncover the scopes). Seeing is up and down too. The only good thing is that there are more dark hours during those nights. Things can still get very humid too and some equipment does get flakey as you approach minus 10 C. Having said that, I have managed some good outings even down to minus 25!
Well Written Concise Supportive
Im in FL, so my best time is Late Fall, Winter, Early Spring (maybe).
Summer time is too hot and humid, random thunderstorms, bugs, etc, etc, etc. So I dont even bother. I have a dedicated pier so I just setup when the weather cools down and dont take anything down till it starts warming up.
Summer time is too hot and humid, random thunderstorms, bugs, etc, etc, etc. So I dont even bother. I have a dedicated pier so I just setup when the weather cools down and dont take anything down till it starts warming up.
Being in the UK i take any chance i get!!!! The weather here can be rubbish for months on end so i`ll take any opportunity unless i`m too tired or ill….even then i`ll setup lol.
Im in Belleville,Ont. I’ve only imaged through one winter but the best nights last year were in January and February during arctic blasts, it seemed that it was only clear below -10c and the seeing was best below -15c. Below -15c I had some gear issues, my camera locked up a few times if I let it sit idle and cool down. I also had 2 cheap cables snap their sheathing.
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Wow lol. I think I might just leave everything setup outside once it goes below zero and stick a cover over the scope/tripod. Hopefully the zwo tc-40 doesn’t mind the cold.
Or…
Mike H can sponsor the poor canadians to come down and image in florida over the winter!
Or…
Mike H can sponsor the poor canadians to come down and image in florida over the winter!
I'm in the Northeast and winters vary between bad and really bad for astro. Last winter was unusual in that we got several good clear nights. But in the 8 or so years I've been doing AP I've had a few winters without a single fully clear night. It's sad because I love Orion and other wintertime constellations but never get a chance to image them.
Well Written
@Scott Badger What camera and lens did you use for those images? They look really good.
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You can have clear sky in winter but also in the summer. In winter humidity is a big problem. But you can use a few cap as main dew and 2-3 small dew bands for your camera or coma corrector or whatever. It will not affect the seeing in your tube. I ly if you use dew cap and start the mirror fan it can affect a bit. But it depends. For me dew bands are important because not all cameras have a built in protection which also works. And at the end your filters oder camera Glas and chip will get blurry, also after this night you will have a bluey layer.
But with dew bands everything is fine and you can use it like in the summer.
Best regards,
Raul
But with dew bands everything is fine and you can use it like in the summer.
Best regards,
Raul
@messierman3000 I have a Canon 5D M IV and the lens was a Canon 200-400. For both subjects, it’s good to have a long lens….. : )
@Scott Badger Thank you for letting me know, I'm just trying to figure out what is the most multi-useful focal length to use for wildlife, because I need a telephoto lens (I don't have one); something up to 400mm looks like it works for many things, also allowing closer focusing distances.
Anyway, to go with the topic, I like spring and summer best; winter gets too cold at night, too much fog and humidity many nights; fall, also a lot of humidity, like, there is so much dew in the mornings (on plants and things) that it looks like it rained in my area.
CS
Anyway, to go with the topic, I like spring and summer best; winter gets too cold at night, too much fog and humidity many nights; fall, also a lot of humidity, like, there is so much dew in the mornings (on plants and things) that it looks like it rained in my area.
CS
emyes for me too. I have plants and trees behind m balcony. And a lot of humidity and dew. But with a dew heater it's not a problem.
Hallo,
I´m living in the center of Germany near big cities. This is an image of the sky by Night in Sommer. Dust, humanity, smog and clouds are reflecting the lights of the cities. When there are no clouds, the sky gets very bright and the stars are not visible. In winter the humanity drops down and the "water" takes the dust und smoke with them, then the sky get clear und dark. Also, the nights are longer and you need fewer nights for imaging.=MsoNormal
Hier a pic made in wintertime. Both images made by me with Samsung Galaxy S22.
BR and CS
Hampo
I´m living in the center of Germany near big cities. This is an image of the sky by Night in Sommer. Dust, humanity, smog and clouds are reflecting the lights of the cities. When there are no clouds, the sky gets very bright and the stars are not visible. In winter the humanity drops down and the "water" takes the dust und smoke with them, then the sky get clear und dark. Also, the nights are longer and you need fewer nights for imaging.=MsoNormal
Hier a pic made in wintertime. Both images made by me with Samsung Galaxy S22.
BR and CS
Hampo
Yeah that’s what I was hoping for. I have no prior experience, but this summer seems to have been brutal. Between cloud and smoke, I’m barely getting any clear skies.
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Sean Mc:
Yeah that’s what I was hoping for. I have no prior experience, but this summer seems to have been brutal. Between cloud and smoke, I’m barely getting any clear skies.
Don´t worry, and be patient winter is coming and CS also!
BR and CS
Hampo